Jun 2012
We're both rotten.
“Mr. Neff, why don’t you drop by tomorrow evening about 8:30. He’ll be in then.”
“Who?”
“My husband. You were anxious to talk to him. Weren’t you?”
“Yeah, I was, but I’m sort of getting over the idea, if you know what I mean.”
“There’s a speed limit in this state, Mr. Neff. 45 miles an hour.”
“How fast was I going, officer?”
“I’d say around 90.”
“Suppose you get down off your motorcycle and give me a ticket.”
“Suppose I let you off with a warning this time.”
“Suppose it doesn’t take.”
“Suppose I have to whack you over the knuckles.”
“Suppose I bust out crying and put my head on your shoulder.”
“Suppose you try putting it on my husband’s shoulder.”
OUT NOW, on limited edition Blu-ray (also available as a SteelBook) — Billy Wilder’s brilliant film noir masterpiece, officially licensed from Universal Pictures: Double Indemnity.
Presented in a new and exclusive HD restoration which critics have been calling “astounding” (Criterioncast) and “stunningly beautiful, and unless you saw it on its original release (perhaps even then), it should make the experience like seeing the film for the first time again” (24 Frames Per Second). Louise Cohen in The Times writes: “Normally I’m not one to be seduced by marketing hyperbole, nor keen to perpetuate it. But the pristine nature of the Blu-ray print is breathtaking. Night shadows are inky black. Daytime LA skies are burning white. The screen image is silvery new, and the film looks modern, plays modern, and feels like the smartest erotic thriller available today.” And Gary Tooze at DVDBeaver says: “The new Masters of Cinema 1080p transfer far exceeded my expectations. … The contrast layering is superb and the Blu-ray exudes a powerful film-like presence. … I was mesmerized by my viewing.”
Our disc includes optional English subtitles for the deaf and hearing-impaired; an audio commentary by film historian Nick Redman and screenwriter Lem Dobbs; a 2006 documentary featuring film historians, directors, and authors discussing the making of Double Indemnity; the 1945 Screen Guild Theater radio adaptation of the film, also starring Barbara Stanwyck and Fred MacMurray; the original theatrical trailer; and an isolated music and effects track.
Rounding out the package is a 36-PAGE BOOKLET featuring a 1976 interview by John Allyn with Billy Wilder; an extract from a 1976 interview with James M. Cain comparing his original serial with Wilder’s film adaptation; documentation of novelist and Double Indemnity co-screenwriter Raymond Chandler’s attitude toward working within the Hollywood studio system; an extract from the original screenplay depicting the excised “death chamber” ending; a note on the restoration; and rare archival imagery.
ALSO OUT NOW: Wilder’s nervy, intoxicating psychodrama The Lost Weekend, also available on Blu-ray and in a special SteelBook edition. Watch this space for more info soon.